1 Thessalonians 3 v 9 For what thanks can we render to God
again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes
before our God; 10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we
might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in
your faith?

So far we have thought about 3 of five sections of the 3rd
Chapter of 1 Thessalonians. We have noticed firstly how
Paul’s concern for the Thessalonians was expressed by
sending Timothy back to them – at great personal cost

1. PROVISION THROUGH SACRIFICE v 1 – 2

Secondly he believed that he should be WARNING them of
afflictions to come

2. PERSECUTION PREDICTED v 3 – 5

They had already suffered great persecution in Thessalonica
– when the missionaries were with them. They had continued
to suffer after they had gone.

Thirdly in this chapter we have Paul’s reaction
to Timothy’s return to Corinth – with
information.

3. PLEASURE WHEN GOOD NEWS COMES V 6 – 8

1. The Good News was DELIVERED.

Timothy brought wonderful news – good tidings about
several aspects of their condition in Thessalonica.

The Good News was about

1. Their Faith.

2. Their Love

3. Their continued remembrance of the missionaries

4. Their desire to see the missionaries again.

Then

2. The Good News was DELIGHTED IN.

Timothy’s report had brought several things mentioned in
these verses –

1 It had brought COMFORT

2. It brought a CONFIRMATION that his work in Thessalonica
had not been wasted.

3. It brought him COURAGE to rise above the hardships and
opposition at Corinth

This morning we are brought face to face with Paul’s
Response to the good news from Thessalonica.

What is our response when we get good news?

Do we clap? Do we shout for joy? Do we jump up and down on the
spot with gladness? Do we go walking and leaping and praising God
as the lame man had done when Peter and John had healed him?

There are many ways to respond to good news. Paul’s
response was with

4. PRAYER THAT PREVAILS. V 9 – 10

9 For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all
the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God; 10 Night
and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and
might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

We are going to see three aspects of Paul’s response

1. Thankfulness

9 For what thanks can we render to God again for you,

2. Joy –

for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our
God;

3. Prayer –

10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your
face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

All three are prayer as we shall see.

Matthew Henry says “It would have been a
killing thing to the missionaries if the professors of religion
(by this he means converted believers at Thessalonica) had proved
unsteady or even proved to be apostates. In the event nothing was
more encouraging than their constancy.”

It has been a great joy since being in the ministry, for
people to ask about the state of the church at Whiddon Valley
– and for us to be able to say how much encouragement there
is in the fellowship and the work of the Gospel here in
Barnstaple. It is not proud to speak the truth about the love of
the saints here, of the harmony in the Gospel, and of the mutual
benefit there is in belonging to such a church as this. We too
can catch the same element of response to Good News as Paul
expressed – thankfulness, joy and further prayer.

Let us now consider these three initial elements of
Paul’s response to the wonderful news brought by Timothy
from Thessalonica.

1. THANKFULNESS.

How many ways are there to say thank you? ‘Diolch yn
fawr iawn’, if you are in Wales. ‘Merci
beaucoup’, if you are in France or other French speaking
countries. ‘Dankeshön’, in Germany – or
‘Gracias’, amongst the Spanish speakers.

One of the first things that one wants to know how to say when
one is in a foreign land is how to say thank you! Paul asks a
question in verse 9 and 10 – What sufficient thanks can we
give in payment for this good news that we have received? How can
we render to God adequate thanksgiving?

Can we imagine Paul sitting in a house in Corinth and
listening to Timothy recounting the news of his journey to and
from Thessalonica; of the people that he had met there; of the
spirituality of the believers there; of their perseverance in the
faith there despite continued persecution; and of the loving
messages sent back via Timothy to the Apostle. How eagerly Paul
would have heard every word! How he would have drunk in the
news!

But this good news could have had the effect of giving Paul
and Silas and Timothy an opportunity to indulge in some
self-congratulation.

“Well – we did a really good job there. The church
is flourishing so we must have got something right. The people
are continuing in the faith – so we must have got our
doctrine right. They are standing up to persecution – so we
must have set them a good example – even though we had to
leave! The Lord must be quite pleased with us!”

But notice that this was NOT what these men did. Their
satisfaction was NOT in themselves – rather it was
satisfaction in what GOD HAD DONE! Paul knew that it is not of
human beings to do a spiritual work. Spiritual work is only done
by the grace of God. No human being can ever save another human
being from hell – only the Lord God through His son the
Lord Jesus Christ can do that! No wonder Paul is thankful. A
mighty manifestation of grace has been apparent from the news
from Thessalonica.

THANK GOD! Says the apostle Paul! Thank God that He has
continued His work started there in Thessalonica! And
Paul’s thanksgiving is expressed rhetorically

9 For what thanks can we render to God again for you,

The word render in this phrase is interesting in
the original language. It is ANTAPODOUNAI from the verb
ANTAPODIDOMAI meaning “to give in return for,
recompense.”

It is used positively and negatively in other verses in the
New Testament. Positively we find the word in this 9th
verse and in Luke 14 v 13

But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the
lame, the blind: 14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot
recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at
the resurrection of the just.

And in Romans 11 v 34

For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his
counsellor? 35 Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be
recompensed unto him again?

There are some negative uses as in Romans 12 v 19

Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place
unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will
repay, saith the Lord.

2 Thessalonians 1 v 6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God
to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

Hebrews 10 v 30 For we know him that hath said, Vengeance
belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord.

Now in turning it into a question Paul implies that NO
thanksgiving within his power would be adequate with which to
repay God for what He had done at Thessalonica.

We sometimes have something to be grateful for to someone who
has done us a kindness. We are thrilled with what they have given
to us or done for us and we say something like this “I
really cannot thank you enough!”

The writer of Psalm 116 asks a similar question –

12 What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits
toward me?

Like Paul the psalmist feels unable to make adequate return to
God – and this grieves Him.

However both do know how to proceed after expressing such
inadequacy – the Psalmist says

13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name
of the LORD. 14 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the
presence of all his people.

In other words I will be thankful and joyful in worship and
praise of the great God who has done great things for me whereof
I am glad! Being thankful leads to joyful praise – and
thankfulness should glorify God.

Some people have lost the spirit of praise because they have
neglected to be thankful. All of us have something to thank God
for – His mercies are new every morning – we thought
about this at the beginning of the year. His redemption is
perfect – His love is unlimited – His power is
exercised in our favour – He has not spared His own Son the
Lord Jesus Christ but offered Him up for us all – He has
gone to prepare a place for us – He has remembered our sins
no more. The list can go on and on. But are we thankful?

We all have to admit that we come short in this area of
thanksgiving. We are of course in good company – Paul
himself confessed to such inadequacy – he could not thank
God enough. We are all imperfect in our ability to be truly
thankful to God because we take so much for granted.

But we may be encouraged this morning – that when we get
to heaven – then we shall really know how to thank the
Lord! We shall have all eternity to thank and praise the Lord for
what He has done and for who He is. But we do not have to wait
for heaven – we can start practising – now –
even though we feel inadequate in our thanks!

2. JOY.

Joy, Joy, Joy, With joy my heart is ringing,
Joy, Joy, Joy, His love to me is known!
My sins are all forgiven, I’m on my way to heaven,
My heart is bubbling over with His Joy, Joy, Joy.

So goes the old chorus that has so much truth in it. The
Apostle Paul was filled with an overflowing and at the same time
an inexpressible joy at the news of the church at
Thessalonica.

for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our
God;

Joy and thanksgiving are connected strongly. Someone has said
that joy is always associated with life whereas sorrow is
associated with death. Rejoicing before God is thanksgiving too.
Yet God Himself is the author of our joy.

In our sins we can have no real joy. If hell awaits us there
is nothing to be joyful about. The world is full of joyless
people. They have a form of joy – but it is false. It has
to do with stimulated emotions – not with redeemed souls!
The true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ has joy unspeakable.
When you know that God loves you, that your sins are pardoned and
washed away by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ then that fills
you with wonderful joy!

Is this your experience my friend this morning? Have you got
real and genuine joy in your heart this morning? You cannot
manufacture joy – joy is part of the gift of true salvation
that comes from the Lord God by his grace. And that salvation
comes through God’s grace leading you to repent of your
sins, and turning to Him alone for forgiveness and pardon. He
calls you today to get right with Him and to trust His
Son’s wonderful work at the cross of Calvary – that
work of paying the penalty for sin.

It may be that you are a believer this morning but joy is not
the first thing you think about. Joy is in short measure even
though you know you are saved. Yet the truth is this – joy
is one of the compensating blessings that we experience even in
the midst of suffering for the Lord Jesus Christ and in his
service. We may be beaten down and burdened outwardly. Life may
be very tough from our perspective. Yet my friend it is possible
to be buoyed up, to be lifted aloft by an inexpressible inward
joy – which actually is a foretaste of the glory that
awaits us.

1 Peter 1 v 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more
precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with
fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the
appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in
whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with
joy unspeakable and full of glory:

May we know this joy in every circumstance!

We said earlier that thanksgiving and joy were actually parts
of prayer – which is the third aspect of Paul’s
response to the Good news – and we remain with thoughts
about prayer for the rest of this sermon and will continue with
prayer next Lord’s Day.

3. PRAYER.

10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your
face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

Even though Paul is struggling with the problem of how to make
an adequate return for the blessings of the Gospel that he had
heard from Timothy, – it does not stop him asking for
more!

There is an intensity communicated here – night and
day and exceedingly give us a clue to the nature of
Paul’s joyful, thankful prayer! When we were in the last
Chapter we noticed how chapter 2 v 9 told us that Paul and the
others worked night and day with their hands at a trade. Yet in
all that they found the time to plant a church, which cannot be
done without much prayer – prayer night and day too! Surely
this is evidence that Paul was a prayerful man – an earnest
pray-er – over abundant and intense in prayer.

His prayers were not merely formal – they came from his
heart. He passionately yearned to see the believers again.

How can we tell? From the Greek word used for prayer in this
verse. Instead of the usual word PROSEUCHOMAI Paul uses DEOMAI.
DEOMAI means to pray because of a want or a lack rather than
prayer in devotion. So his prayer springs from a sense of
DEPRIVATION. Paul NEEDS to pray – so he prays
accordingly.

Oh that it may be that we learn to pray like this – with
a heart’s desire to see God moving. I have to confess that
it is not often that my prayers are like this. I would be
dishonest if I said otherwise – but I am challenged to be
so stirred up in my soul that I WOULD pray like Paul – with
a desire for souls, with a deep desire for God’s glory;
with a sense of deprivation of evidences of grace that I would
pray all the more fervently! Could I challenge you too my friends
– let us earnestly desire to be in prayer like this!

What exactly was his desire that drove him to his knees?

i. He had a desire to see the believers face to face.

The Apostle really wanted to be amongst the Christians at
Thessalonica and rejoice in their fellowship – not for
himself – for self gratification – that he could look
at them and take credit for their conversion – Oh No!

But for their sakes! He had a Pastor’s heart and
Pastor’s desire for his flock – just to see them
again.

Modern communications are all very well. E mails to Nicola and
Zdenek are sent in a moment and replied to in a matter of
minutes; letters, yes, hand written ones still come, take a
little longer and are good to be received; and telephone calls
have made a great difference to people to talk together though
separated physically. But there is nothing to replace, and there
is no substitute for, the stimulus of face to face fellowship
with significant people.

We missed you when we were away. We prayed daily for you
– we wondered what you were doing. On the Tuesday evenings
we prayed while you prayed – and when you were studying the
word we were reading and listening to ministry from a CD. This is
a common experience – those bound together by family ties
as we are in the church miss each other when parted.

But what a sense of joy and peace when we are all together
again – assembled in God’s Name and in the house of
God – seeing each other’s faces – in each
other’s physical presence.

You know in heaven we will first of all see our Saviour face
to face and have perfect joy because all will be present and
correct – not one of God’s people who have been
adopted into His family will be missing.

We shall see each other face to face never again to be parted.
How wonderful and glorious – what a lot we have to look
forwards to.

ii. He had a desire to build the believers up by
ministry.

The time that the missionary church planters had spent with
the Thessalonians had been limited and it had been impossible to
give them all the teaching that they had needed. So he prays that
they might be able to supply their deficiencies.

How would you feel if you received a letter like this? If
someone famous wrote to us to tell us that he was coming to visit
us – and while he was here he would put us right on a few
things! Paul of course means to profit these Christians
–

and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

The word perfect here is the Greek KATARKIDZOH and is used
several times in the New Testament.

It is used in Matthew 4 v 21

And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James
the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee
their father, mending their nets; and he called them.

And in Galatians 6 it is rendered restore –

1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are
spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness;
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

The fishermen were not so much mending their nets as
strengthening them and preparing them for future use.

KATARKIDZOH means to rightly order or arrange something. It
refers to strengthening and maintaining as in Hebrews 11 v 3

Through faith we understand that the worlds were
framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen
were not made of things which do appear.

Here it is the word FRAMED that is a translation of this word.
A frame encloses and puts things in order. It completes the
picture.

So there were deficiencies or imperfections in the Church of
Christ at Thessalonica! What a surprise – or was it?

As in every church there were things that needed to be done.
Timothy’s report was good – but there were some
issues to be dealt with.

1. The first was the issue of the Return of the Lord Jesus
Christ and the doctrine of the Second Coming. Paul prepares for
chapter 4 v 13 to 5 v 3 – the teaching on the
2nd Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Secondly – the recent converts to Christ had been
blessed with much grace – yet there was still more room for
improvement. This is born out by the words that he used in
Chapter 4 v 1

Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by
the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to
walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more.

3. And thirdly it seems that some of the members had become
disorderly and had needed the words of Chapter 5 –

1 Thessalonians 5 v 14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them
that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be
patient toward all men.

There were needs in the church – and Paul could not go
personally though he desired to – yet he could pray. He
could pray that these deficiencies would be supplied –
however God wanted to do it!

My friends we too need to know our deficiencies. In our case
we need to be ready to search the scriptures and to listen to
teaching in order to be built up by ministry. When we know that
we have shortcomings let us pray – for ourselves and for
each other. We need the Ministry of the Word to help us. Perhaps
we can see Chapters 4 and 5 of the letter as directed to setting
us on the right road.

May it be so for the glory of our Saviour’s wonderful
name! So let us with thanksgiving and joy approach the Lord in
fervent prayer for His work this week, and until He comes again.
Let us not get weary in well doing – for His Name’s
sake.